Growth Group

Meeting Minutes of 6/14/10

Members present: Rick Angell, Stan Jordan, Elinor Redmond, Kendra Palmer, Sue Ross, Dave Allen, John McCall.

Elinor opened the meeting at 5:30 p.m. with a prayer.

Revisit the purpose of the group and validate whether we should continue: Our discussion was free-ranging on this topic. I am including observations. Group consensus is to continue.
• John is grateful there is a Growth Group. It helps to charge up the congregation. New people comment on the welcome they find here.
• Kendra says the group has an important role going forward. She sees more new faces in church and thinks the hospitality tips are helpful.
• Stan notices a lot of people at services he does not know.
• John says some return, some do not. Most Sundays there is someone who is visiting for the first time. Part of our draw is we are open and affirming and intentional about direction.

We discussed whether newcomers attend coffee hour.
• Sue stated we have exhausted hospitality tips.
• Elinor wants us to have a higher profile: report in the annual report and (John suggested) doing an article for the Beacon around Labor Day.

To the question, What is our purpose?
• Stan said ‘to increase welcoming and fellowship of the church’. He found a nearly complete purpose in the March 2009 minutes: To provide a structure and a process to warmly welcome newcomers to our church and to encourage the building of meaningful relationships so that newcomers feel they belong and can participate in our church community. The minutes state we felt we were close. It was not mentioned in subsequent meetings.

John described the pattern of attendance among young church-goers. They might come every week for 6 weeks and then stay away for several months. Nothing is ‘wrong’, they are just making other choices of what to do with their time.

To the question, What is the measure of our success?
• Elinor mentioned John’s reaction, as he has his finger on the pulse of the congregation.
• Stan talked about looking around as you enter the church. Are the ushers happy (smiling)? Are the members happy?

We agreed to focus on both the welcome to people who have found their way to us and to pursue activities that bring people in the door. John said that fewer outside groups use the church building than in the past (the cub scouts and mom & dad’s clubs no longer meet).

We discussed how we function as a group. Next year we want to do more work between meetings. One or two people will handle a project. The agenda will be reports on the project list. We will use e-mail to give one another information ahead of a meeting so that meeting time is saved.

Facilitator: Dave has been doing an excellent job for a few years. He graciously agreed to continue for first half of the program year rather than rotating the responsibility.

Top Priorities:
• Review printed materials to have an overview and to see what materials should be updated. The office has time to work on this task in the summer. Elinor and Sue will look at materials in the pew racks, welcome packets and reading racks. They will look for overlap and report back to the group.
• Kendra is interested in working on events to bring more people in the front door of the church. Friend Sunday, special events.
• Rick will investigate what it the rules and regulations are concerning signage in South Portland so that we know what we have to do to place signs directing people to the church.
• We want to expand on our in-house hospitality.

Everyone will review the lists and resources we already have and come prepared to set an agenda for the year in September.

Next meeting: September 13, 2010

Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond